With temperatures in the 20s again today and everything in the yard under a thick layer of icy snow, I was thinking about Spring and crocuses coming up through last Fall's fallen oak leaves. It's going to be a few weeks before that will happen here, so I decided to make a crocus block!
I drew out a design and sat back and looked at it. It was going to be difficult to turn this one into a paper pieced pattern but it is well suited to machine appliqué.
I traced the parts of the flower and leaves individually with a seam allowance where the pieces overlap so I could tuck the edge of one fabric under its neighbor.
Then I scanned them into my computer. Once scanned, I flipped the image horizontally to create the mirror images needed for the fusible appliqué.
I chose Heat-n-Bond lite to fuse the appliqué to the background material because I could see through it to trace the pattern pieces onto the paper on the back side of the product. Use what you have or like using.
Cut out the appliqué pieces so you can fuse them to the back of the fabrics for your flower and oak leaf.
Leave room around the your drawn lines. You will cut them to the exact shapes needed after fusing the Heat-n-Bond to your colored fabrics.
Place the cut pieces on BACK side of your fabric. Double check to make sure you aren't fusing the pattern to the front of the fabric.
Fuse the Heat-n-Bond lite to the fabric per the directions. Then cut out the individual pieces of the appliqué.
Fuse them to the background fabric in this order:
Oak Leaf
Right and Left crocus leaf
Stem
Center of crocus flower with Right petal next and Left petal overlying the center and Right petal.
Machine appliqué the pieces with colorless mono filament thread in the bobbin, changing the upper thread to match the appliqué pieces. Sew them down in the same order that you applied them to the background fabric.
Trim this block to 6 inch square.
Add fabric scraps to both sides, then the top and bottom of the block.
Trim the final block to an 8.5 inch square.
Spring has arrived!
I don't have a plan for this block yet. I think I'll put it away and see what else happens!
Here is a PDF you may download if you want your own crocus block. This design is copyrighted. You may only use the block for your own use.
Crocus machine applique pattern: Spring Breaks Out
I drew out a design and sat back and looked at it. It was going to be difficult to turn this one into a paper pieced pattern but it is well suited to machine appliqué.
I traced the parts of the flower and leaves individually with a seam allowance where the pieces overlap so I could tuck the edge of one fabric under its neighbor.
Then I scanned them into my computer. Once scanned, I flipped the image horizontally to create the mirror images needed for the fusible appliqué.
I chose Heat-n-Bond lite to fuse the appliqué to the background material because I could see through it to trace the pattern pieces onto the paper on the back side of the product. Use what you have or like using.
Cut out the appliqué pieces so you can fuse them to the back of the fabrics for your flower and oak leaf.
Leave room around the your drawn lines. You will cut them to the exact shapes needed after fusing the Heat-n-Bond to your colored fabrics.
Place the cut pieces on BACK side of your fabric. Double check to make sure you aren't fusing the pattern to the front of the fabric.
Fuse the Heat-n-Bond lite to the fabric per the directions. Then cut out the individual pieces of the appliqué.
Fuse them to the background fabric in this order:
Oak Leaf
Right and Left crocus leaf
Stem
Center of crocus flower with Right petal next and Left petal overlying the center and Right petal.
Trim this block to 6 inch square.
Add fabric scraps to both sides, then the top and bottom of the block.
Trim the final block to an 8.5 inch square.
Here is a PDF you may download if you want your own crocus block. This design is copyrighted. You may only use the block for your own use.
Crocus machine applique pattern: Spring Breaks Out